1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a functional diagram suitably used for a muscle and muscle strength reflex test conducted in treatments such as chiropractic and the like and an examination method using the functional diagram, and more particularly, a functional diagram for a muscle and muscle strength reflex test that enables locating a damaged portion of a patient with high accuracy and an examination method using the functional diagram.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional treatments such as chiropractic and the like, a muscle and muscle strength reflex test may be performed to locate a damaged portion of a patient or diagnose the severity of the damage. This reflex test uses a response of a muscle or muscle strength of the patient caused by an external stimulation affecting the body or mentality of the patient. “Bi-digital O-ring test” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,107) is well known as the reflex test. In the Bi-digital O-ring test, a practitioner such as chiropractic practitioner and the like attempts to force apart an O-ring shape formed by a patient who places the fingertips of his thumb and index, middle, ring, or little finger together, and the practitioner examines an instantaneous loosening of the muscle of the fingers being forced apart at the time when a certain external stimulation is affecting the patient.
When performing such tests, the practitioner sometimes explains a distortion and unleveling of the body during an examination. However, in fact, a patient cannot quite realize the distortion and unleveling. A body distortion check sheet, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-261881 (hereinafter referred to as “Iwashige”), is known as a means to solve such a problem. To use this body distortion check sheet, a patient steps on a footprint of the check sheet, takes repeated high steps thereon with his eyes blindfolded, driving his thighs high and swinging his arms much, for approximately sixty times, and then removes his blindfold and sees which direction the toes of his feet are pointing to and which direction and how much he has moved, thus determining the degree of the distortion and unleveling of his body.
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-310576 (hereinafter referred to as “Kayo”) discloses a method of examining the distortion of a patient's body. In this method, the patient moves each of the joints of his body within its movable range, and the movement of the joint is assessed to find a direction in which the joint can be easily moved and a direction in which it is difficult to move the joint, so that the distortion of the patient's body is discovered. Kayo further discloses a recording method including the steps of preparing a schematic diagram of human body describing each of the joints of the entire body when lying on the back and lying on the face, writing and recording the movement and movable direction of the joints at each of the joints on the schematic diagram using numerals, symbols, and figures, and writing and recording a physique in a static condition on the schematic diagram.
However, the check sheet of Iwashige does not improve the accuracy with which the chiropractor locates a damaged portion, but it merely has the patient himself understand the distortion of his body. On the other hand, the schematic diagram disclosed by Kayo requires to examine and record the movement of all of the joints of the patient and his physique in a static condition, and therefore, the schematic diagram cannot be immediately applied for a particular examination such as the muscle reflex test and the muscle strength reflex test.